Vertical Jump Drive Basketball Gauntlet

ABSTRACT

A vertical jump drive basketball gauntlet for use on a ground surface in the vicinity of a basketball hoop, simulating a defensive basketball opponent to help offensive basketball players improve and maintain proficiency dribbling, driving, jumping, and shooting a basketball at a basketball hoop. Consisting of a weighted T-shaped base, a vertical central support structure, and coupled elongate arms simulating outstretched arms of defensive basketball players. The elongate arms are coupled in a manner allowing pivoting and orbiting movement. The elongate arms and upper portion of the vertical central support structure are padded to protect practicing basketball player from contact with basketball gauntlet.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the training of basketball players to encounter defensive obstacles and to improve jumping strength and shooting accuracy of a basketball while encountering and engaging defensive obstacles beneath basketball hoop, proves to be a consistent challenge. As well as teaching and training explosiveness. Efforts have been made to create training apparatus and obstacles to shoot a basketball over, but nothing to address the issue of promoting aggressiveness, explosiveness, power, and accuracy while dribbling to the basketball hoop and shooting the basketball. Vertical Jump Drive Gauntlet, a basketball training device supportable on a ground surface by a weighted base, designed to simulate defensive individuals defending basketball hoop. Comprising an adjustable vertical pole frame with an upper and lower end pad assembly, adapted to be engageable by a practicing basketball player. Attached at the top area of pole frame, padded projecting obstacle arms, responsive to vertical motion, providing resistance to practicing offensive basketball player jumping vertically and shooting basketball into basketball hoop. Padded arms are stacked and project randomly Into jumping path at different heights. Padded arms attach to pole frame with resistive spring attached to swivel, which allows arms to rotate around pole frame if engaged. Padded arms attached to swivel, are positioned above body pad assembly and held in place on pole by peg and cotter pin.

DESCRIPTION BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Becoming a skilled offensive basketball player requires numerous hours of practice in game like situations. Although basketball requires offensive players to be proficient at dribbling, jumping, and shooting a basketball at a basketball hoop while experiencing physical contact from a defender, players also need training in explosiveness while being guarded by a defensive player as offensive player is jumping to put the basketball in the basketball hoop.

Efforts have been made to create training devices and obstacles to shoot a basketball over, but not to address the issue of promoting explosiveness and power while focusing on shooting accuracy at the same time. A need exists for a mechanism that enables basketball players to practice offensive dribbling, driving, jumping, shooting a basketball while being under stress and resistance of a defensive player. It is an objective of the mechanism to provide simulation of a basketball defender's arms and body, creating physical contact that might be encountered in a basketball game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates full assembly of the mechanism (001) simulating a defensive basketball opponent showing an upper mast (108) and a lower mast (107), the telescoping height adjustment (106) for the upper mast (108) and lower mast (1070 comprising a tension stack pin (109) and upper and lower mast aperture (110) alignment, padding (111), a floor brace (101) having an upstanding weight pin (104) and fight rollerl (102) and left roller (103). Also seen is a plurality of elongated horizontal arms (219).

FIG 2 demonstrates. In addition to the elements shown in FIG. 1, a weight (105) to be affixed to the upstanding weight pin (104).

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrates top view of set of a plurality of horizontal arms (219) arranged in a cross or X configuration and Illustrating the plurality of horizontal arms attached by resilient helical springs to the upper mast (108).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred form of the invention as seen in FIG. 1 whereby a mechanism simulating a defensive basketball opponent is composed of rigid materials including steel and is seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as an upwardly extending lower mast (107) and an upper mast (108) with portions being encased in synthetic foam seen in FIG. 1 as padding (111). In use, the mechanism is adjusted to desired height by the telescoping height adjustment (106) for the upper mast (108) and lower mast (107) comprising a tension stack pin (109) and upper and lower mast aperture (110) alignment and positioned in close proximity of a basketball hoop whereby a practicing offensive basketball player can dribble and maneuver towards and around said mechanism while attempting to put the basketball in the basketball hoop. The mechanism is also designed to acclimate offensive players to physical contact which occurs under basketball hoops while rebounding and shooting a basketball. Physical contact is to be administered to said mechanism by a practicing offensive player to develop explosiveness, power, and aggression. The base (205) of the mechanism is in the shape of the capital letter T having a cross member (201) and an outwardly extending leg (101) with the base (205) designed to rest on a flat surface and keep the mechanism in an upright position. Affixed to the cross member (201) is the of the T shape base (205) is the lower mast (107). The lower mast (107) having an obtuse angle (200) shape intermediate the lower mast (107) proximal the lower mast aperture (110) and the interconnection with the base (205) in order to prevent stepping on the base (205) while mechanism is in use. The upper mast (108) is encased in a thick synthetic loam padding (111) to allow physical bodily contact.

The plurality of elongated horizontal arms (219) are seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as unit one (220) and unit two (225) and shown with each having four outwardly extending arm members seen for unit one as arm members (123), (124), (125) and (126) and unit two as arm members (127), (128), (129) (130). The arm members (123) through (130) are shown with synthetic foam padding. Unit one (220) and unit two (225) arm members, as seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are horizontally affixed to a swivel (113) and (114) by resilient springs (115) through (122) which allow the arms to rotate in an orbital motion and the distal extremities of the arms to move up and down upon contact. Weights (105) are added to the weight post (104) at the backend of the T shaped base (205) which helps in keeping the mechanism stationary as a whole during practice contact. Affixed to the face of the T shaped base are rollers which allow easy transport of the mechanism when tilted on to rollers. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vertical jump drive basketball gauntlet for use on a ground surface in the vicinity of a basketball hoop, simulating a defensive basketball opponent comprising a weighted T-shaped base assembly, a vertical central support structure comprising a lower portion mast and upper portion mast mounted to weighted T-shaped base extending upwardly therefrom, and a coupled quartet of elongate arms having proximal and distal extremities coupled to upper portion of upper mast and mounting means coupled to proximal extremities of the elongate arms for supporting elongate arms on upper portion of upper mast, horizontally spaced apart, the mounting means including yieldable resilient members coupled to the proximal extremities of the elongate arms for permitting yieldable pivotal movement of the distal extremities and permitting orbital movement of quartet of elongate arms in response to a force applied thereto by practicing offensive basketball player, a second coupled quartet of elongate arms having proximal and distal extremities with proximal extremities coupled to upper portion of upper mast above first said coupled quartet of elongate arms and mounting means coupled to the proximal extremities of elongate arms for supporting elongate arms on upper portion of upper mast above first said quartet of elongate arms, horizontally spaced apart, the mounting means including yieldable resilient members coupled to proximal extremities of elongate arms for permitting yieldable pivotal movement of distal extremities of elongate arms and permitting orbital movement of second quartet of elongate arms.
 2. A basketball gauntlet of claim 1 wherein said weighted T-shaped base assembly, a vertical central support structure means for retaining basketball gauntlet in a stationary upright position while being contacted by practicing basketball player.
 3. A basketball gauntlet of claim 2 wherein said weighted T-shaped base assembly includes a short post for adding sufficient weight for retaining basketball gauntlet in a stationary upright position while being contacted by practicing basketball player
 4. A basketball gauntlet of claim 1 wherein said a vertical central support structure comprising a lower portion mast and upper portion mast section telescopically insertable, one within the other for adjusting height of said upper portion mast, supported by stacking pin insertable through aligned aperature pairs in upper mast and lower mast whereby said upper mast is held in a static position relative to said lower mast when said stacking pin is inserted through aligned aperature pairs.
 5. A basketball gauntlet of claim 1 wherein said yieldable resilient members means comprise of helical springs.
 6. A basketball gauntlet of claim 1 wherein padding covers said first quartet of elongate arms and second quartet of elongate arms for protecting said practicing basketball player from injury when contacting elongate arms.
 7. A basketball gauntlet of claim 1 wherein padding encases said upper portion mast of vertical central support structure for protecting said practicing basketball player from injury when contacting vertical central support structure.
 8. A basketball gauntlet of claim 1 wherein said weighted T-shaped base has a face edge and includes roller means mounted along said face edge to permit movement of basketball gauntlet.
 9. A basketball gauntlet for use by a practicing offensive basketball player on a ground surface in the vicinity of a basketball hoop comprising movable support which a practicing basketball player can make contact while maneuvering to attempt to shoot a basketball toward the basketball hoop, said movable support means including a weighted T-shaped base and a vertical central support structure comprising a lower portion mast and upper portion mast mounted to weighted T-shaped base adapted to rest on ground surface, first coupled quartet of elongated arms with proximal and distal extremities and second coupled quartet of elongated arms with proximal and distal extremities and yieldable means coupled to upper portion of said upper mast horizontally spaced, as to simulate outstretched arms of defensive basketball players, the mounting means including the lower portion of the lower mast coupled to said weighted T-shaped base at an obtuse angle for positioning the vertical central support structure forward of the weighted T-shaped base so each time the practicing basketball player engages the basketball gauntlet, the practicing basketball player's feet will be free from obstruction
 10. A method for training an offensive basketball player to shoot basketballs under simulated bodily contact with the aid of a basketball gauntlet which simulates defensive basketball opponents near the basketball hoop and includes a weighted T-shaped base adapted to rest on ground surface, a vertical central support structure mounted to weighted T-shaped base and extending upwardly therefrom, first and second coupled quartet padded elongate arms having proximal and distal extremities and mounting means including yieldable resilient members coupled to proximal extremities for permitting yieldable pivotal movement of distal extremities and permitting orbital movement of elongate arms, comprising the steps of placing the basketball gauntlet in the vicinity of a basketball hoop causing the practicing basketball player to physically engage the padded upper mast and padded elongated arms to maneuver the basketball indifferent positions to get it into the basketball hoop from different angles and positions 